The students of the 1st Taurus Course have sworn allegiance to the Italian Republic on the ISMA parade ground in Florence
Florence, Friday 29 April 2022 – In the presence of the Secretary of State for Defence, Mr. Lorenzo Guerini, 32 students from the 1st Course of the “Giulio Douhet” Air Force Military School” They shouted in Florence “I swear it!”, attesting their loyalty to the Italian Republic and its Institutions and undertaking to honour the founding principles of the Air Force, such as Ideals of loyalty, courage and a sense of duty.
The Ceremony, presided over by Chief of the Air Staff, the Air Chief Marshal Luca Goretti, took place in the presence of numerous Civil, Military and Religious Authorities from the Tuscan region and in the presence of the Commander of the Air Force Schools and of the 3rd Air Region, AirSquadron General Silvano Frigerio.
After thanking the authorities present, the Commander of the School, Colonel Davide Rosellini invited the girls and boys from the Taurus course to experience this ceremony as“one of the most cherished and exciting moments of their lives, because at the precise moment one cries out to the heavens one's promise of loyalty to the Italian Republic, one puts one's abilities and energy at the country's disposal, but above all one's honour.”.
And it was at the end of the Commander of the School's speech that the solemn act of Oath of allegiance to the Republic, pronounced before the School Flag, and greeted by the flypast of a formation of aircraft consisting of two Eurofighter del 4th Wing in Grosseto (GR) and two Tornado coming from 6th Wing in Ghedi (BS).
Following this, the Taurus Course baptism took place, with Air Brigadier General Luigi Casali, Chief of Staff of the Air Force Schools Command, attending as the course's godfather. This moment, during which the pennant is symbolically entrusted to the Course Leader, represents an ideal handover between the old and new generations of the Armed Forces.
Then he intervened Chief of Staff of the Air Force, who welcomed the girls and boys of the Taurus Course into the Blue Army and, addressing the Cadets directly, highlighted how the choice they had made “It will require sacrifices, but it will be amply rewarded by the satisfactions you will gather, by the unbreakable bonds you will forge, and above all by the awareness that today you are laying the foundations to become key players in our beloved country.
“The start of an adventure that, thanks to your passion and commitment, will become a reality. In a few years, we will be proud to pass the baton on to you, confident that we are placing it in safe hands, those of very young citizens, capable of making the best choices for our national community in full respect of the fundamental values of our Democracy. With these words the Minister Guerini wanted to pay tribute to the young Pupils, recognising in them “the expression of the most precious qualities and values embodied by our beloved country: ethics, a spirit of service, selflessness, and respect for rules. Characteristics that will distinguish you forever in the continuation of your careers.”
Minister Guerini also expressed his particular thanks to the Air Force for all its activities carried out outside national borders.
It “Giulio Douhet” Air Force Military College” (inaugurated in 2006) along with the other Military Schools (Nunziatella in Naples, Teulié in Milan, and Morosini in Venice) is a secondary education institution that conducts courses in the second and third year of the classical and scientific streams, admission to which is via public competition.
I am currently serving at the Douhet School. There are 104 students, 50 male and 54 female, divided into the Rigel Course, in its third and final year, the Sirio Course, in its second year, and the Taurus Course, which was enrolled on 06 September 2021.
The’Air Force Military Sciences Institute It is an institute for advanced training and dissemination of air force military doctrines: it is headed by a General Officer and is subordinate to the Commander of the Air Force Schools/Commander of the 3rd Air Region. The ISMA is in turn subordinate to Military Aviation School “Giulio Douhet”, established in 2006. The Institute’s mission is therefore broad and diversified, also due to the specific nature of the bodies and Departments under its command. As an institution of higher education, ISMA is tasked with raising the general, technical-scientific, and professional cultural standards of Air Force Officers, developing and refining their training in preparation for the leadership and management roles they will be entrusted with throughout their careers.
